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September 2018 WINES&VINES 57 PACKAGING ference in handling is applying two closures versus one. We can do about 15% to 20% more bottles with crowns in the same amount of time." Jackson estimates the cost for crowns averages 5 to 10 cents each, cork and wire about 65 to 85 cents combined, and non-agglomerated Champagne corks approximately $3 each. He and his clients prefer unbranded capsules; the most popular capsule colors requested include black (55%), gold (40%) and silver (5%). Jackson does apply a neck label at the base of the cap- sule on his bottles, though his other winery clients do not. "One of the wineries we apply crowns for has used neck bands and strip labels over the crown, shoulder flashes, even purple ribbon over the crown," Jackson said. "This particular win- ery is known for eccentric packag- ing and labels." Bottle innovations Jackson also said the use of atypi- cal bottle shapes is getting more popular with some of his more unorthodox clients. "One winery we work with uses a bowling pin- shaped bottle," he said. "Every- body loves it, thinks it's beautiful! Except me. We have to hand-rid- dle this bottle, because it does not work in our gyropalette." Jackson and his clients use Saverglass, O-I Packaging Solu- tions and TricorBraun Winepak for more traditional sparkling wine bottles. He said he and his clients have been working with a light- weight bottle type from a Euro- pean supplier and appreciate the reduced weight but noted, "With our less-than-innovative machin- ery, it's more prone to breakage, which is bad. It's a learning curve." Saverglass sales manager Jen- nifer Smith said she has noticed extra-premium clients opting for more artful bottle designs with sylph-like necks, curvaceous shoulders and pronounced punts such as Champenoise Vintage, Champenoise Anassa, and Cuvée des Sacres. For more economical, environmentally friendly clients, Saverglass offers the Eco Design bottle, a standard-shaped, 835- gram bottle. Portable potables, sparkling in a can According to market research firm IRI, canned sparkling wine sales rose 43% in the 52 weeks through July, far outpacing the growth of wine packaging in glass, although cans are starting from a smaller base. In this age of social media, canned wines prove highly Insta- gram-ogenic. Cans also prove to be an affordable, portable, non- breakable and portion-controlled option for concerts, sporting events and any other venues where bottles just don't work. One winemaker jumping on the canned sparkling wine wagon is Chris Berg with Roots Wine Com- pany in Yamhill, Ore. Berg, who has been making traditional sparkling wine since 2009, recently launched his canned wine project, with an anticipated initial production of 4,000 small (125-milliliter) cans to markets in California, Oregon, Washington, Wisconsin, Virginia and New York. "For sparkling it makes sense in smaller cans. The bubbles last a shorter period than traditional méthode champenoise," Berg said. The pragmatic producer uses a base rosé of Pinot Noir, and out- lines the canning process as fol- lows: "Fermentation, filter, can. Pretty simple. We will do the label- ing and packaging at our winery." Roots ships the finished wine to Motherlode in Portland, Ore., for canning, and TAPP in Napa, Calif., prints the labels. Berg opts for scuff- proof plastic labels with plastic backing and market-tested glue adhesive. After labeling, he affixes four-ring plastic holders to the cans, and places them into 24-pack cases. "Pricing is fairly similar at the end of the day," Berg said. "The cans cost $2.40 each versus $6.50 per bottle. With traditional (spar- kling wine), by the time you add in the bottles, labor and packag- ing, it (costs) about the same." Aside from cost, Berg points out the other benefits and challenges he's encountered canning sparkling wine. "Benefits are that it is quick compared to méthode champenoise. Challenges are that the wine has to be ice cold before injecting bubbles and force carbonation. If not, the losses will be significant and harder to keep in suspension." Clearly, these sparkling wine packaging innovations prove as scintillating as the wines inside, helping engage and sustain con- sumer interest long after the corks — and cans — pop. SPARKLING IN A SMALLER FORMAT D omaine Chandon unveiled a new 187 milliliter aluminum bottle with a screwcap for its California Sweet Star cuvee. The new packaging was designed for on-premise accounts where glass bottles could not be sold. Initially launching in New Orleans and Chicago, the smaller bottles will begin rolling out nationally this year and are avail- able for sale at the winery's website in a 24 pack. "It took several tastings and trials to ensure that the wine quality remained superior in the new packaging," said head winemaker Pauline Lhote. She said she conducted four different trials starting in June 2017 to evaluate the new packaging in terms of wine chemistry, including pressure testing, and sensory analysis over the course of a year. "We made some changes on our bottling line equipment to be able to run this aluminum bottle which was mostly change parts to accommodate new bottle height and inspection equipment to guar- antee the quality and consistency." CHANDON